Game apparatus.



No. 663,334. Patentednec. 4, |900.

A. M. nuTTwElLEn.

GAME APPARATUS.

(Appucqtin med sape. 23, 1399.1

(No Model.)

i mw @y ZM?" "OPWS `Q liar-ran Freres FFICE.

ALBERT MARION DUTTWEILER, OF CAMBRIDGE CITY, INDIANA.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,334, dated December 4, 1906.

Application led September 23, 1899. Serial No. 731,442. (No model.;

T0 @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MARION DUTT- WEILER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cambridge City, in the county of Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in game apparatus in which the elements are ar- -ranged to make the movable playing-object rebound or carom at least once from a yieldable surface previous to entering a stall or pocket, thereby increasing the interest of the players and developing a high degree of skill.

The invention is susceptible of embodiment by different forms of game-boards; but in the forms herein illustrated there is a generic feature which resides in a board having an arbitrarily-fixed starting-point for each player, a series of stalls within the playing-field, and one or more cushion or yieldable carom-surfaces which may be located parallel with or at an angle to the open end of the stalls, each starting-point being located on the opposite side of the board from a Garcin-surface.

Various kinds of games may be played by my apparatus and various kinds of objects may be used-such as spheres, balls, or marbles-0r I may employ disks or other forms of movable objects; but to generically designate them I will hereinafter refer to the same as movable playing-objects.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated different embodiments thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional elevation thereof in the plane indicated by the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of another construction of the game-board, and Fig. 4 is a cross-section thereof in the plane indicated by the dotted line e 4. of Fig. 3. Figs. 5 and 6 are other constructions of the game-board, illust1-ating different arrangements of the caromsurfacesin relation to the stalls. Figs. 7 and S are perspective views of different kinds of finger-protectors `adapted to be worn by the players for impelling the movable playing-.objects across the playing-field. ,V The same characters of reference are used to indicate like and corresponding parts in each of the several figures of the drawings.

I will rst proceed to describe the gameboard represented by Figs. 1 and 2. The board 11 is preferably of square construction, and it is surrounded by the raised boundary walls or flanges 12. Within the boundaryflanges of the board is the playing-field 13. The series of stalls 14 are shown as arranged centrally in the playing-field, and these stalls are separated one from the other by a plurality of parallel walls or partitions 14. The stalls provide a series of spaces into which the movable playing-objects are adapted to be projected by rebounding from the caromsurfaces ofthe board, and in one embodiment of this invention the stalls form a series of pockets which lie below7 the surface of the playing-field. The pockets are indicated by the numeral 16 in Fig. 2. I prefer to extend the walls or partitions l5 above the horizontal plane of the playing-field,the projecting edges of the stalls being curved, as shown by Fig. 2,

and to prevent an object in the stall or pocket pocket I prefer to incline the surfaces of thel pocket, as indicated at 17, whereby the movable playing-object is prevented from stopping at the entrance to the stall, but will contin ue to travel down one inclined surface 17 until it assumes a position in the middle of the pocket or stall.

In the style of playing-board shown by Fig. 1 I employ two cushioned rails 18 19 as the @erom-surfaces, and these rails are arranged on opposite sides of the board in parallel relation to the series of stalls v14, which stalls open at both ends toward the Carool-surfaces. These carom-surfaces may be formed by strips of elastic or yieldable material-such, for eX- ample, as rubber or an equivalentsubstanceadapted to be secured in any suitable way to the inner opposing surfaces of the oppositelylocated boundary-langes of the game-board.

According to my invention the game-board ICO points indicated by the reference character X, which must be located on a dilferent side of the board from a carom-surface forming in part a boundary for the playing-field. In the type of board shown by Fig. 1 the players are seated on opposite sides of the board, so as to have the series of stalls between them, and the starting-points X may be located at any point along the' edge 13a or 13b of the playing-field. Either player may place his movable playing-object at any point X along the edge 13a or 13b of the playing-field according to the pocket or stall into which it is desired to have the playing-object enter by rebounding from the carom-surface. In the board shown the carom-surface is at right angles to the starting-point, and the player should place his object in such a position as to project it against the carom-surface to rebound at an angle which will cause said object to enter one of the stalls. The object may pursue the course indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1 to enter the fourth stall from the lower end of the series of stalls; but ofcourse the path of the object will be varied by the angle of its projection across the playing-field and the rebound from the caromsurface.

In the game apparatus shown by Figs. 1 and 2 I have represented the movable playing-objects in the form of spheres or balls 20, and when objects of this character are used the playing-field should be covered by a layer of fabric 21 or other suitable material which will deaden the noise of the rolling object. l do not, however, confine myself to the use of this noise-deadening surface on the playing-field j fand to the employment of balls or marbles as the playing-objects in the type of game-board shown by Figs. 1 and 2, because I am aware that the fabric layer 21 may be omitted and that disks or other devices may be used as the playing-objects to slide over a smooth or polished surface on the playing-field.

In the type of game-board shown by Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings it is constructed to secure a double carom by each movable playing-object between the starting-point X and the entrance to the stall or pocket. This type of game-board is substantially the same as in Fig. l-that is to say, the playing-field is bounded ou two sides by carom-surfaces 1S 19, lying' in planes at right angles to the boundary edges of the field from which the movable playing-objects may be projected; but to secure the double `caroln of each playing-object I find it desirable to arrange the series of stalls at right angles to the caromsurfaces 18 19, so as to face the edges of the field having the object-starting points and to interpose the supplemental carom-rails 22 23 between the series of stalls and the edges of the playing-field which are free from the carom-surfaces. The supplemental carombe made of strips of rubber or other appropriate material secured in any suitable way to the playingfield, and said carom-rails are spaced with relation to the carom-surfaces and the stalls to provide for the free movement of the playingobject. In this style of board the surface of the playing-field is uncovered by omitting the fabric layer 21, (shown by Fig. 2;) but, on theother hand, the surface of the field issmooth or polished to enable the disk-shaped playing-object 24 to slide freely thereover. This object may be placed at any point X along one edge of the playing-field,and it may be propelled to travel and rebound, in the course indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 3, to enter one of the series of stalls.

In the construction of game-board shown by Fig. 5 the series of stalls 14 are located in the playing-field adjacent to the boundaryflange at `one side of the board, so as to have the stalls closed at one end by one of the boundary-anges. A carom-surface 18 is arranged at the opposite side of the playingfield facing the open ends of the stalls, and the starting-points X are located at the side of the field adjacent to the stalls, the starting-point for one player being at one end `of the stalls and the starting-point for the other player being at the opposite end of the stalls. Each player may project a movable object from the starting-point across the field toward the carorn-surface 18, from which the object rebounds to pursue aicourse in a reverse direction across the field, so as to `enter one of the stalls.

The game-board `shown by Fig. 6 is constructed for the purpose of `enabling three or more players to `participate in the game, and in this embodiment of the invention each side of the playing-field is bounded by one of the marginal flanges of the board and a carom-surface, said carom-surfaces being disposed opposite a plurality of series of stalls and at right angles to the several startingpoints. The playing-field is square and the several series of stalls are arranged at right angles in square form at the middle of the field-that is to say, the stalls 14 are at right angles to the stalls leta lab, while the stalls 14 are parallel to the stalls 14 and at, right angles to the stalls 14 l1". The carom-surface 1Sa faces the stalls 14, and it extends from one corner of the board part way across the open ends of the stalls, thus leaving one of the boundary-flanges 12 exposed to the playing-lield. The carom-surface 19 faces the stalls 11C, and it is similarly arranged with relation to the oppositeboundary-wall 12 of the board. The other Gamm-surfaces 18b and 19b face the stalls lab and 14, respectively, and said Garcin-surfaces are arranged with respect to the board boundary-walls l2 in a manner similar to the carom-surfaces 18 and 19. The several starting-points Xlare arbitrarily located along the exposedsides of the boundary-walls 12, each starting-point IOO IIO

being on a side of the board which lies at right angles to the carom-surface, so'as to make the movable object travel in a course indicated by the dotted lines for rebounding from the carom-surface into a stall of the proper series.

It will be evident that the boards shown by Figs. 5 and 6 may have their playing-surfaces covered by a fabric for the spherical objects to roll thereon, or said surfaces may be polished for the disk-shaped objects to slide easily thereover.

In Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings I have represented a device by which the players are able to forcibly strike the movable playingobject Without hurting the fingers, and such a device I will hereinafter refer to as a projector.77 This projector is in the form of a thimble 32 with a at surface 33. The flat surface may be struck up from asingle sheet of metal and bent to the form shown by Fig. 7. The metallic angular piece is fitted to the thimble to embrace the same, and it is secured firmly to said thimble. This flat surface may also be formed from apiece of wood having a concaved rear side to snugly tit the thiin'ble upon which the wooden piece is secured by any suitable means. The construction of the thimble-shaped projector with a lia-t surface enables the player to readily fit the projector ou the finger and to forcibly strike the object without hurting the finger, the flat face of said projector causing it to squarely strike against a movable object in order to drive the latter in the proper direction.

Different kinds of games may be played by the boards constructed as herein described. In playing one kind of game the stalls are all numbered, the center pocket having the highest number. Each player should be provided with an equal number of objects, one set of objects being of a different color from the other. The players shoot by turns, and their object is to land the playing-object in the pockets of highest number. Each player in turn places one of the playing-objects at the proper starting-point X and then projects the object across the playing-held at such an angle as to strike the carom-surface at a point which causes it to rebound at an angle from the carom-surface and enter one of the pock ets, it being the policy of the player to make his object enter the stall of the highest nurnber. When each player has exhausted the number of objects or has manipulated the number previously agreed upon, the game is ended and the player scoring the highest nurnber of points wins the game. l

Another gaine which may be played consists in having each player make his movable object enter into a stall or pocket containing an object of the other player, no attention being paid to the numbering of the stalls.

Under these conditions an object of oneplayer entering the stall occupied by the object of the other player entitles lthe firstother player from the stall, leaving the object of the successful player in the pocket. Various rules may be adopted for regulating the playing of the games.

Other kinds of games may also be played; but there is one game which I desire to describe. This consists in having each player adjust his playing-objects in a row or line in the stalls at his end of the board, and the object is to advance his line by shooting the playing-object into the stall in front of his row. Each player must start by projecting a playing-object into the first stall at his end ofthe board, and at the next effort the object must be deposited in the second stall, and so on throughout the series. Should a player at any shot fail to advance his line, he forfeits to the opposite player the object which does not enter the stall. When the two lines meet, the game proceeds as before, and when a player by advancing his line lands in a stall containing an object of the other player he is entitled to remove the object from the board. The player gaining the most ground wins the game. It is to be understood that either player may place hisplaying-object along an edge of the playing-ield at any point which may be desired according to the angle of rebound from the wrom-surface, so as to secure the desired angle of projection and the angle of rebound for the movable playing-object to enter the proper stall; but this starting-point may be arbitrarily located along either edge of the playing-field. Of

lcourse two or more players may participate in the game which may be played on the game-board shown by Figs. l, 3, 5, and 6.

The gaine-board shown by Fig. 3 may, if desired, have its carom-surfaces 18 19 arranged at angles as shown, and said carcinsurfaces may be divided along two rails of the board in the manner indicated by Fig. 6. It is evident that the projectors to be worn on the finger may be used in connection with any style of game apparatus, and, if desired, the flat surface on the projector may be made integral with the thimble.

Changes may be made in the form and proportion of some of the parts, while their essential features are retained and the spirit of the invention embodied. Hence I do not desire to be limited to the precise form of all the parts as shown, reserving the right to vary therefrom.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is l. A gaine-board comprising a playing-ield, a straight series of stalls arranged within the field near the center thereof and spaced from the edges of the same, carom surfaces arranged at an angle to each other, one of the carom-surfaces being disposed opposite the stalls and in parallelism therewith and arbitrary starting-points offset from the entrances IOO IIO

of the stalls, whereby two players may simul taneously project movable objects into the said stalls, substantially as described.

2. A game-board comprising a playing-field, the series of straight stalls located near the center of the field in the Aform of a rectangle and spaced from the edges of the field, the carom-surfaces arranged at an angle to each other and facing the entrances to the stalls and being in parallelism therewith, and a series of arbitrary starting-poin ts oset from the entrances to the stalls and located at dierent points on the eld, whereby a number of players may simultaneously project movable objects into the stalls, substantially as dex5 scribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature iii the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT MARION DUTTWEILER.

Witnesses:

`SAMUEL B. FISHER, y CHARLES LEMBERGER. 

